


Boxing Day

by hmw95



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Alternate Universe, Boxing Day, Car Accidents, Character Death, Chronic Illness, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Future Character Death, Homophobia, I'm so sorry, Illness, M/M, Sick Rhett, terminal illness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 19:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13083675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hmw95/pseuds/hmw95
Summary: It started from a class field trip to a long-term care facility when they were kids. It blossomed into a beautiful, larger than life friendship. With Rhett's looming illness and Link's insecurities, they journey forward until the very end.





	Boxing Day

**Author's Note:**

> This fic has been in the works for a long time now... And by a long time now, I mean that I have been working on this off and on for over a year now. Not beta'd, so any mistakes are mine alone. Rhett's condition remains unnamed on purpose. I created a soundtrack/backing track to this fic on Spotify (of course including Boxing Day by Blink-182). Feel free not to listen if you don't want to, but it is highly recommended to at least listen to Boxing Day. 
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/user/2sidedmonologue/playlist/6WGxAXY8pxAhDUQSISD11V
> 
> Please add a comment below if you want to see an epilogue of some sort. Thanks for reading!

It all started with a simple field trip; a trip to the medical facility down the road from the small elementary school in town. Link vibrated in his seat with excitement as they passed the sign labeled “ _Riverview Long Term Care Center_ ”.

The six year old didn't have a clue what it meant to be in a medical housing facility such as the one his class was visiting that day. He just knew that it was a day he wasn't going to be stuck in a classroom. He cycled through friends almost faster than he changed his clothing day in and day out; so he was definitely riding out the field trip alone for the most part.

When the school bus pulled up, the kids were excited. Most didn't have a concept of illness or disability yet. Ms. Locklear was hoping to change that. She had a goal in mind; if she were to change the lives of one of her students or a client of the home, the field trip would be a successful one.

The kids lined up in order, chatting to their heart's content, arranging themselves in order to enter the building with the least amount of chaos. Once peace was restored, the adults led the class in through the front doors.

They met some of the approved clients, allowing the kids to hear their story from either them or a nurse. They stopped by a quiet room, a recreational hall, the cafeteria. The kids were learning a lot, but some weren't at their best behavior.

Link Neal was dangerous to all around him when faced with his ultimate weakness: boredom. He was continuously getting more and more disruptive and obnoxious, and Ms. Locklear knew she needed to do something quick. She stepped aside with another of the supervisors, telling them she was taking Link somewhere else to calm down. She led the child to the nurse’s Center.

“Is there somewhere quiet I can take my student? He needs a little break.” The nurses were kind, and one named Thelma even offered to lead them to a perfect space to cool off.

“The quiet room should be perfect. I'm sure you lot already have been inside. Little Rhett should be in there, but he's not the biggest social butterfly so I'm sure he won't be a bother.” The doors were opened, and the nurse led them to a table where Lenora set down some of her belongings and instructed Link to sit beside her. At least, she tried. Her student only had eyes for the other child in the room.

The kid looked older than Link, but he couldn't have been by much. He had the uniform every client had on, a bland shirt and sweats. His grey-green eyes stared at the newcomers, wary of their presence in his space. Ms. Locklear sensed his discomfort and tried to distract Link by giving him coloring pages, but he was far too focused on the other kid.

“Link, you need to listen or else we will go somewhere else.” Lenora hadn't even noticed before that Thelma was still hovering in the room, observing. Link hesitated.

“But what if he wants to color?” he shifted on his seat, and Lenora knew that he would not budge until he was allowed to do something.

“Fine. You can _offer_ him to color. But that's it. Then you need to come back over here and do as I say.” Link lit up, and bolted across the room.

“Hi, I'm Link and I'm on a field trip with my teacher Ms. Locklear with a ton of other kids and I have to color because I was bad but if you want to color you can if you want to there's a lot of crayons and pages for you!” He seemed to speak within a single breath, before trotting back to color. He started on one with Babe the Ox, and the other boy didn't move. It wasn't until Link had started in on one with unicorns that Ms. Locklear sensed movement from the other side of the room.

Rhett shakily crossed the room, looking more ill than any child should, and carefully took the seat beside the other small boy. Link, with his large personality, shocked Lenora with offering just a smile, before passing a sheet (the same copy of unicorns) over, and shifting the box of crayons for easier access.

The two boys colored in companionable silence, and at some point, Lenora locked eyes with Thelma, who seemed just as shocked as she felt. As they blew through the few coloring pages Ms. Locklear brought, she felt hesitant to split them up. Link made the decision for her.

“Were you watching TV over there?” Rhett nods. “Can I watch with you?” Another, slightly more hesitant, nod. The boys went back to the couch and watched cartoons, with Link talking and talking, as Rhett looked less and less scared. He even softly added his own words. Ms. Locklear felt another body join her at the table. Thelma and her shared a look of amazement, before watching over the two of them.

The field trip eventually ended, as did the amazing experience Link had the opportunity of having. He seemed upset about having to leave his new friend, but left with a hug and a promise to visit again.

Ms. Locklear knew she should've taken him seriously. She heard from Sue, Link’s mom, that he wouldn't shut up about the boy at the clinic. What she didn't expect was to get a call from the _other_ boy’s mom.

“I'm not sure if it breaks some kind of privacy rule, but my son has never had a friend in his few years of life. I would love to find this Link boy so my son can have someone his age to be around.” Going against what she was taught at the beginning of her career, she passed Sue's number down to Diane. She figured it wasn't breaching policy to do so.

She had wondered what had come of it, when Link came in one day soon after grinning from ear to ear.

“Ms. Locklear! I went and saw Rhett yesterday after school and mom says if I'm done with all my homework before she gets home from work she'll take me there again today!”

Lenora Locklear hadn't realized what she had been the catalyst of. Those two boys had intertwined destinies, and were meant to meet and share a bond closer than anyone they ever knew would. Rhett and Link were two halves, until that day in the small medical clinic, where they became whole.

-

Years passed, and with every year each boy grew in age, the two grew in closeness as well. The group home came to know Link from his many visits, bending the rules to allow him to come by without parental supervision. Usually a nurse watched the two, but they trusted Link enough to allow them privacy.

The boys were nine when Rhett fell ill, barring Link from visiting his best friend for nearly a week. When he was finally allowed to stop by, he had to wear full PPE. He stepped into the room, frightened.

“Rhett… you're sick.” The older boy huffed out a laugh.

“Tell me something I _don't_ know.” Link still looked like he had something to say. “What?”

“You… you could die. You could die and leave me all alone some day. I never thought about it before..” Rhett looked nervous. 

“What? Do you… do you not want to hang out anymore? Because if you can’t handle this...” Link’s eyes became comically large. 

“ _No_!” Came his immediate response. “I mean… you're my best friend, Rhett. I've never met anyone like you. I don't think I ever will again. I don't know what I'd do without you.” Rhett’s eyes may have become a little teary, but he smiled. 

“Same to you, bo.” 

-

Suddenly, Link was in middle school, and Rhett felt left behind. Link was only really able to come by on the weekends anymore, and his best friend felt jealous of all the new stories of the younger boy’s new friends. 

He felt almost angry at himself for how upset he got every single time Link came back with a new story. Of how much he hated Michael for getting to ride bikes through the neighborhood. Or how Billy got to go to the arcade with him. He wanted to not hate these boys for letting Link do everything he knew he’d never be able to do, but it was difficult. 

It also did not help that he was holding all of these feelings in; it ended up forcing him to push Link away. And it did not go unnoticed by his friend.

“What is up with you?” The smaller boy lashed out. “You’ve been acting weird for weeks now, and you never want to tell me why!” He huffed. “You just keep giving snappy comments every single time I talk about my week, and it’s almost as if…” He turned away. He wasn’t one to get teary eyed, but he could feel his face grow hot. He shook his head, not allowing himself to finish that thought.

“Almost as if what, Link? As if you’re going out and doing all these things while I sit in a bed, waiting for my next surgery? For my next dose of medication?” Unlike his friend, he didn’t hold back from the wetness in his eyes. “Almost as if I am just too sick to be of any good to you anymore now that we aren’t little kids? Almost…” He paused as he met his friend’s eyes. Link was never one to show his more vulnerable feelings like Rhett. He had never shed a tear in front of his friend. Until that moment. The taller boy saw the tear fall down his friend’s cheek. 

“That’s what you really think?” His voice was all choked up. “That… That that was how I feel about you?” He sat on the bed beside his friend, close enough that Rhett sat up in order to properly face him. “Sometimes… Sometimes I wonder if… I wonder if your life wasn’t all of _this_ ,” he motioned to the walls around them, “I wonder if you’d still even be my friend. I’m not… I’m not normal, Rhett. I’ve never been. Heck, sometimes I fib a little bit about my friends at school… Because they all have better friends than me. I’m just the last choice. That’s all I’ve ever been.”  

Rhett sat in shock. He realized that he must’ve been so blinded by his feelings about everything, that he didn’t stop to see if something was going on behind it all. He reached his long arm over Link’s shoulders, bringing him close for a hug. 

“You’d _never_ be my last choice, Link.” He whispered, feeling his friend’s arms tighten around him. The physical affection side of their relationship was still a fairly fresh thing. He pulled away. “Maybe we should probably talk before, uh, jumping to conclusions next time?” Link rubbed at his eyes roughly. “Aren’t we just the perfect pair?”  

“I hope you know you’re the most important person to me, man. You… You let me be _me_. I don’t know if you’ll ever understand how much that means to me.” Rhett smiled, patting him on the shoulder.  

It wasn’t a quick fix, of course. Rhett still felt left out at times. Link still had his insecurities. That didn’t stop him from convincing Rhett’s parents and Riverview to allow him to take his friend on a field trip to the river. He wanted to go to the arcade, but there was a worry about all the other people there. So the river it was. 

He would never forget the look on Rhett’s face as he saw the powerful river roaring in front of his eyes for the first time. He turned to Link, pulling him close in a public embrace that was not usual. 

“ _Thank you_.” He whispered. Link’s heart felt whole. 

- 

Rhett could realize something was wrong even before Link began to put off his visits. His friend kept putting off talking about school, which was something that was definitely not regular. Especially now that he was finally growing and catching up with the other boys in their grade. Not now, when he made it onto the soccer team. Or after he claimed to finally have had his first (short lived) girlfriend and first kiss. 

Shortly after the last time they had pulled away from one another, Rhett began to utilize the therapy sessions that were offered at Riverview. He met Doctor Kiernan, who was more helpful than any doctor beforehand. Sure, his other doctors made it possible for him to live, but Dr. Kiernan made him _want_ to live.  

When he brought up his concerns about Link in one of his weekly appointments, Dr. Kiernan had simple advice.

“You need to talk to him. It worked for the two you last time something of the sort happened, no?” Rhett sighed.

“That’s just it, though. He doesn’t want to talk to me. He keeps avoiding this place like the plague. I just… I want to know what’s going on.”

“You’ll need to give him his time. He will tell you what’s going on when the time is right.” Rhett pouted.

“But what if that time is never?” He voiced his concern. “Link is kind of the most important thing to me, Doc… I don’t know what I would do without him.” He’s spoken about it before to the doctor; he was almost glad he was the one destined to die first, because he didn’t want to think about a life without Link.

“If you boys are as close as you say you are, it will work itself out. You need not worry, Rhett.”

But it wasn’t enough.

-

That was how Rhett found himself carefully guided to Link’s doorway by his concerned mother. It took a lot of begging and coercion before Riverview would allow him to do something so frivolous. And that wasn’t even covering the fact that he had to convince his mom as well. They pulled up to the trailer park, and knocked on Link’s doorway. Sue was at work, so they knew Link would be home alone.

He didn’t expect to see the face that opened the door, though. 

“Rhett? What are you doing here?” His voice was rough, and it was difficult to tell if it was from over or under use. That wasn’t the most surprising thing, of course. The most surprising was the bruises covering his friend’s face, along with the split lip. 

“You’ve been ignoring me, man. I couldn’t… I couldn’t just let us drift apart again. You know that.” Link looked conflicted, before inviting them inside. Diane sat on the couch in the living area, as Link helped his weak friend over to his room. He made Rhett comfortable on his bed, but continued in his silence. “So, are you going to tell me what happened?” 

“Between us, or to my face?” 

“Either is a fine starting point. More than you’ve talked to me about in weeks. So, spill.” Link sighed. He twiddled his thumbs in nervousness. 

“They’re both kind of related, so… I guess I’ll just start.” He gulped. “I got into a fight at school. I’ve been suspended.” 

“Link…” Rhett started, but Link shushed him. 

“I… I didn’t start it. I didn’t even hit back- I don’t even know why I’m in trouble for any of it, when it’s not my fault!” His hands were getting increasingly shaky, his voice trembling as well. He wouldn’t meet Rhett’s eyes. 

“Why did you get in a fight, Link?” He was almost nervous for the answer. 

“I’m scared to tell you. You might… You might think of me differently, man.” It didn’t help Rhett’s fears. 

“Just tell me, man.” They sat in silence for a moment, Link desperately trying to keep calm. 

“They found something out about me. I told… I told a kid at school about something, and he told his friends… And they thought it was wrong. So they beat me up. The school didn’t care because… Because it _is_ wrong.” He took a deep breath. “I told… I told Michael I liked him. Like… I _like_ like him. He… He doesn’t feel the same way.” His voice became choked up toward the end.  

Rhett couldn’t believe it. He knew he wasn’t a part of the real world most of the time, merely a spectator, but… He was horrified. He had heard stories of people like Link, in the news and online. 

“I’m gay, Rhett.” He went out a said it, still not making eye contact. “I… I don’t know what to do. I’ve been treated like a monster ever since Michael told everyone.” He wiped at his eyes. “Aren’t you going to say something?” He lashed out. “Or are you just like everyone else? Disgusted with me?” He scoffed. “Serves me right…” Rhett grabbed his arm. Link finally made eye contact, his eyes wide and fearful. 

“You are my best friend, Link. Nothing… Nothing, like your _preferences,_ is going to change that.” He sighed. “There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being gay. Nothing. It’s just another part of you. It doesn’t change the fact that you’ve done nothing but be good to me ever since I’ve known you.” Link kept on fighting the tears. “You are the best guy I know, Link. I hope you know that.”  

“Rhett…” His voice was rough with oncoming tears. “T-thank you.” Rhett’s eyes went soft as he set his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’m sorry I was avoiding you. I was so scared.” 

“You had every right to be, man. I mean, look at you. You look more bruise than skin.” Rhett paused. “Just… Stop avoiding me. I won’t turn my back on you.” Link gave a small smile through his rough emotion. 

“I… I know that now”. 

- 

The problem with everything was that while Link could always escape to Rhett (which he did much more than weekly after their talk) he needed a job. He wanted to save up and learn how to drive. He wanted to save up and buy a car. 

The problem? After everything that happened at school, he was treated like an outcast. It was pretty much impossible for him to get a job. Sure, it also didn’t help that he wasn’t yet sixteen and he could only work somewhere that would pay under the table, not officially.

But every time he walked the streets of their town, someone seemed to even look at him differently. He was a bug on the bottom of their shoes. He would find himself hiding at Riverview more often than not. 

“I just don’t know what to do, Rhett. I feel like I’m trapped… Like this place is the only place that accepts me for me, and it’s only because they’ve known me since I was a little kid.” It was true; he was even beginning to befriend other patients there as well. There was a girl around their age a few rooms down from Rhett who took to him nicely. Her name was Christy, and he sometimes wondered if his feelings about her would be different had he not been gay. Rhett frowned. 

“Maybe they’re hiring here? Like for a janitorial thing or something?” Rhett’s voice was rough. He was having a bad week. He couldn’t really leave his bed, unless he was in his wheelchair. Link sighed. 

“You don’t think I’ve already tried that? Any position here is eighteen and up. I’m… I guess I’ll just have to try and ask around again.” It was silent for a few minutes following, and Link looked over to see Rhett almost asleep. “I’m gonna get going; you look like you’re about to pass out.” Rhett gave a weak thumbs up, and it felt like only seconds before his breathing evened out in sleep. Link gave a small smile, standing from his seat. He didn’t know why, but he pulled his friend’s blanket a little higher on his chest. With how big his friend was getting, any movement could throw the little thing off of him. He then proceeded to exit the room as quietly as he could. 

He didn’t expect to run into Christy on the way out. 

“Hey Link!” Her bright smile greeted him. He gave a small wave.  
“Hey Christy.” He paused, realizing that it was still mostly early in the day. He wasn’t really ready for the rest of the world quite yet. “You busy?”  

“I’m so busy that I just binge watched Wheel of Fortune for three hours.” He smiled. “Why? Rhett all conked out?” He shrugged. “Well, my room’s open if you want a quick visit.” He couldn’t really think of any reason not to. Her room looked a lot less lived in than Rhett’s; it may have been due to the fact that she didn’t really plan on living there forever like Rhett’s family seemed to. She was just waiting for her treatment plan to be finished, and it was just more convenient for her to be at Riverview during it. 

“What’ve you been up to? Other than watching your favorite show, of course.” He offered a wink. 

“I’ll have you know that my favorite daytime show is Family Feud, thank you very much!” He chuckled. She adjusted her beanie. “Well, my next chemo appointment isn’t until tomorrow so there’s that. It’s basically filling my time with homework and daytime TV in between appointments at this point.” He nodded. 

Sometimes he wondered if he had it out for himself. The two closest relationships he’d ever had outside of his familial ones were both mostly terminally ill. Christy’s prognosis was still up in the air, but Rhett’s… He didn’t like to think about it. 

Christy brought her feet up on her bed until she was sitting cross legged, facing him. 

“So…” She trailed, “What’re we avoiding today?” 

“Who said I was avoiding anything?” He scoffed. She gave him a knowing look. He wasn’t normally one to go to her room so easily. “That easy to tell?” She crossed her arms, cocking one eyebrow. “Well, I’ve been trying to get a job. It… It hasn’t been going too well.” He began to rub at his arms- a nerve filled tic. 

“Have you tried asking around?” He nodded. “Even at the farms?” He nodded once more. “You’re a young, capable guy. What’s the deal?” She didn’t live in the same area as he did; Riverview was in between two towns. There was no way for her to know. He decided to risk it. 

“Most people… Uh, don’t agree with my, uh… _Preferences_.” He didn’t make eye contact with her. “I’m… I’m kinda… Um… Gay.” He almost whispered toward the end of the confession. She was silent for a second, and he briefly wondered if she was about to kick him out of her room.  

“Seriously? _Seriously_ ?” She raised her voice. Link almost wanted to flinch. “They don’t want the extra help because you like guys? What kind of messed up world do we live in?!” He certainly did not expect _that_ response. “You are probably more capable of work than some of the boys they have working now, and they don’t… _Ugh._ ” She huffed. “You know, if you ever need my help on that sort of thing, you can let me know.” It was his turn to cock a brow.  

“What do you mean?” He questioned. He was honestly curious. 

“It makes me sick to my stomach that I even have to offer such a thing in our society… _But…_ ” She paused. “I could be your girlfriend.” He was confused.  

“Um… What?” That certainly wasn’t where he thought the conversation was going.

“I wouldn’t _actually_ be your girlfriend, Link.” She rolled her eyes. “Just, you know, a front. So you could get a job somewhere. Let people think you’re straight until you can get out of this town and somewhere a little more open minded.”  

“And that would just fix… Everything?” She shrugged.  
“It’s just an option. If people are such idiots that they discriminate against you for your sexual orientation, then maybe they’re dumb enough to fall for the charade of you having a girlfriend until you can get out of here.” She shrugged her shoulders once more. “Just a thought.”  

Link thought about it; if he had a job, he could get his car. He could save up to leave, or even just have more freedom. He sighed. 

“I’ll do it.” She smiled. 

“Okay, _boyfriend_.”

 It was going to be a strange relationship. 

- 

Rhett, of course, was not behind the idea whatsoever. 

“I just don’t think you need to pretend to be someone you’re not, man. You’re perfect the way you are.” Link gave a small, sad smile. 

“I just have to do it until I can get some money and get a car. Maybe until I’m old enough to get a job in the city. I just gotta get by. You have to understand that.” Rhett gave an unhappy sigh. 

“Okay… But you also have to understand why I worry for you, man. The world ain’t kind, and it especially ain’t kind to people who lie about who they are.” Link shrugged. 

“It’s… Just just the way things gotta go for now.” 

- 

Christy made a show at the school, with her mom driving her over to pick him up. She got out of the car, and bravely planted  a big one right on his lips, pulling him by the hand to the backseat of the car. She wanted to make sure that there was no doubt in anyone’s minds; Link had a girlfriend. 

She pulled this show several times, and slowly the town began to ease up on the poor boy. The soccer team re-offered him a spot on the team. The boys in class began to speak to him again. The town stopped side-eying him on the streets.  
Most importantly, a little Ma and Pa store close to the high school offered him a job. Of course, he couldn’t handle cash until he was sixteen but he couldn’t be more thrilled about the opportunity to have money actually begin to come in.

Rhett wasn’t as happy about the development. He didn’t realize until Link actually began to pick up hours at work that he was beginning to miss his alone time with his friend. Because it was a retail joint, Link was even working weekends. He missed the time he would spend with him. 

“I just… I don’t get it, Doc.” He spoke to Dr. Kiernan during their session. “All he had to do was get a girlfriend, and suddenly it’s as if everything never happened. It doesn’t seem fair. I don’t want him to be tortured like he was… But all of this just doesn’t seem right.” 

“Rhett… Do you think there is anything _else_ that might be influencing that opinion?” Rhett scoffed.  

“Of course not. I just… I think Link is perfect the way that he is. It makes me sick to think that all of this is coming from people who treated him like a pariah just weeks ago. Does it not do the same to you?” Rhett crossed his arms. 

“We aren’t here to discuss my opinions on your friend, Rhett.” He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “Now, earlier when we discussed this, you harbored special resentment toward Christy for her bringing up the plan in the first plan. Now… Why don’t we delve a little deeper into that? Is there any particular reason why you would feel that way toward her?” 

“Of course there is! I’m…” He sighed. “I think I’m a little nervous that she’s going to take advantage of him. He’s… He’s in kind of a bind right now. Things are going so well… Maybe he might try to trick himself into actually thinking those feelings are… I don’t know… Real? I don’t want him to get hurt, is all.” He almost felt like he was trying to convince himself. 

“But there is more to it, isn’t there? On why you don’t support their fake relationship?” The younger boy began to struggle with his argument. 

“I just…” Rhett knew he was lying to himself at that point if he continued. He trusted his doctor. He trusted him with his innermost feelings. He could tell him. “I… I haven’t had the most normal of upbringings, Doc. I… I basically had to discover most things through TV or through Link, I guess. I’ve never…” He was so close to revealing a truth that he hadn’t even truly admitted to himself quite yet. “I’ve never thought about where my feelings lie… With genders, you know?” He ran his hand through his hair- a nervous tic. “I… I’ve never felt anything for the pretty women I’ve seen on TV or that Cole’s shown me off of his phone. I’ve never felt anything for the men either. I just thought… I just thought that that was what I was destined to feel. Nothing.” 

He stared at his hands. He briefly considered ending there, maybe changing the subject… But he knew it was an important conversation to have. Even if it was just to prove something to himself. 

“I was honestly okay with it. Until…” He smiled, at the thoughts he was beginning to have. “I pictured… I pictured Link. He… He makes me happy.” There was no turning back. “I realized… I realized that I wasn’t feeling all those things for the people on the TV or in the magazines or online… Because I had that person for me in real life.” 

“And you weren’t concerned with your sheltered lifestyle influencing these feelings?” The doctor touched on the subject that the two had spoken of many times before; that he was concerned that he only felt certain things because of how isolated he lived his life. 

“I’ve been around nurses, doctors, other patients… All of my life. The only person… The only person I’ve ever felt something remotely strong for is him, Dr. Kiernan.” His chest felt so light with the confession. “I guess, to answer your question from earlier… I think I hold such negative feelings about their relationship because she’s getting to live the reality I’ve always wanted to live.” 

“And why don’t you pursue that? Your feelings?” 

“Well, for one, if he didn’t return those feelings, I don’t know how it would affect our friendship. Just because he’s gay doesn’t mean he wants to date _me,_ Doc.” He started. “Second of all, I’m a ticking time bomb. I feel bad enough that I am as important to him as I am. If something were to happen to me- which is very possible- I’m afraid of what it would do to him. If we were something… _More_ , then I don’t know if he could handle it. I don’t want to hurt him any more than I eventually will have to.”  

“And you think it is better to hurt yourself in the process?” The doctor baited. 

“If it helps him, I don’t care.” He gulped. “I… I kind of like him  _a lot_ , Doc.” 

The doctor had to hide his knowing smile. 

- 

Link and Christy had been “going steady” for a few months at this point, and he managed to purchase an old beater from an old farmer on the edge of town. It was an old truck that had various issues, but it was _his_. He was so over the moon, that he couldn’t shut up about it, even to Rhett.

Of course, his taller friend didn’t care. He was happy to see how ecstatic his best friend was. Link had managed to get his permit, and by the time he was sixteen he had a license. The second he was able to afford insurance and show the proof to the staff at Riverview, they and Rhett’s parents gave him permission to give his pal a spin. 

It ended up becoming a regular occurance; he would stop by, grab Rhett and take him for a ride. Granted, it was only if his friend was feeling up for it. Rhett still had plenty of bad health days. 

He was spending so much time with his friend after reaching his goal, that he didn’t realize he was pushing his fake relationship to the side. He didn’t really notice anything about it until he saw a text from Christy one night that simply read, ‘ _We need to talk_ ’. Had they been in a real relationship, he probably would’ve been nervous for this _talk_.

He briefly visited Rhett beforehand, of course. He shared the text, wondering aloud what it was going to be about. His friend wasn’t helpful at all, only offering a shrug. 

“You’re the one who’s dating her, not me.” Link pouted. 

“That’s not helpful.” 

“Well, on TV, that usually means an impending breakup.” Rhett offered, almost a little bit too chipper in his response.

“That’s not helpful either.” His friend only shrugged once more. “Well, her appointment should be over with by now, so I’m going to go and face the music. Wish me luck.” Rhett gave a joking salute. The brunette could only roll his eyes at it. 

When Link entered the room, he saw Christy with her elbows resting on her knees. Her eyes were gazing out of the window. She glanced at him upon his entry. She looked almost more pale than usual. She had a lazy smile on her face. 

“Hey, Link.” She greeted, continuing her cloud watch. 

“What’s up? You said you wanted to talk?” He sat beside her on the bed, joining her in her gaze. 

“I got a bit of news at my appointment today. They got the results back from my last test.” They still didn’t meet one another’s gaze. “As of this afternoon, I can officially claim to be _cancer-free_.” He finally turned to her. 

“ _Seriously_?” He heart felt especially light.  

“Deadly.” She smiled. 

“That’s amazing, Chris!” He wrapped his arm around her. “I’m so happy for you.” He rubbed his hand over her shoulder. He wasn’t expecting her to almost flinch, pulling out of his embrace. 

“Look, that… That isn’t what I asked you to come in here to talk about, Link.” She turned, meeting his eyes. “I’ve had a lot of time for introspection the past few weeks, and a lot of time getting to know you.” She paused. “I think… I think it’s best if we end things between us here. At least, these ‘ _romantic_ ’ bits.” Link frowned.  

“But… Why? I thought the plan was to wait until college or beyond?” She scoffed. 

“Until what, Link? Until we’re married? Until we have a few kids?” She took a deep breath. “I think… I think we did our job here, and I’m happy with everything we’ve done for you… But I’ve also got to think about myself in all of this. I… I need something _real_ Link. This… This is just going to hurt _me_ in the end.”  

“Christy… You…” He didn’t dare say it aloud. He knew exactly what she was insinuating with her statement; she was beginning to fall for him. “But… You’re such a good girl, Christy, I… I could-” She shushed him. 

“You stop right there.” Her eyes looked just so hurt. “You are perfect the way you are. You absolutely need not change anything about yourself, especially if it’s only to cater to how I feel. It was stupid of me in the first place.” She gave a sad smile. “Besides… I know your heart lies elsewhere.” This statement confused him. 

“What do you mean?” She rolled her eyes.  
“You can’t be that naive, Link.” Christy set her hand on his arm. “I’ve seen how you look at him. Like the sun is shining right out of his eyes. Like everything you could ever ask for has been granted every time you see him smile. You’re smitten, honey.” She rubbed at his skin.  

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Chris…” She smiled. 

“I can’t have you… Because there’s a boy a few rooms over that owns your heart. You love Rhett.” 

- 

After their separate epiphanies, it was rough for the boys to spend much time together. Link put off telling Rhett about Christy “dumping” him, even. He wanted to blot the conversation with her out of his mind until he figured out what to do about it. 

The universe didn’t seem to agree with their logic of pushing things away. Rhett seemed to continue having many bad days in a row, feeling groggy and out of it on most days. It didn’t seem to matter if Link was even there; Rhett wasn’t usually well enough to hold a decent conversation. 

It was getting closer to the end of summer, and Link seemed to have spent most of it actively avoiding his best friend, or being in the same room as his non-present friend. He was growing worried for Rhett; he was beginning to wonder if he would even have the time to gather his thoughts on his feelings.

At times, Rhett would have moments of passing clarity. Link was happy to be there. 

“Tell me a good joke.” Rhett’s eyes weren’t focused, but Link gave a small smile. “I mean, other than your love life.” The smaller boy clutched at his heart, feigning pain at the words. 

“Ouch, man.” They both shared a laugh. Once it quieted, he figured it was a better time than any. “Though, even that joke ain’t happening anymore. Christy dumped me.” Rhett’s expression was unreadable. 

“Yeah?” He asked. “So your plan didn’t pan out?” Link shrugged. 

“It did it’s job. Though, according to everyone besides you and her, I am going through a tough breakup, so give me a break.” He paused. “So… Ready for a good joke?” Rhett just offered a weak smile. “Why does the museum have old dinosaur bones?” The moment of clarity seemed to slowly coming to an end, with his friend’s silence. “They couldn’t afford new ones.” 

Even though Rhett didn’t laugh, he could tell by the smile on his friends face that he liked it. 

- 

It was the next day that Rhett’s mom gave Link and his mom a call. Rhett fell asleep shortly before Link left for the night, and he went into a deeper, coma-like state. It had the doctors worried. He was completely unresponsive, and began to have breathing troubles the day after that. Rhett had to rushed into emergency heart surgery; Link didn’t understand much of the terminology, but he knew it couldn’t be very good. He was moved to the local hospital, where he was kept under near constant watch. 

When Link came to visit Rhett after work, he found his friend hooked to an oxygen ventilator. He found himself stuck in the doorway, he was in such a state of shock. 

Seeing the pale skin of his best friend, seeing the machine aiding in his _breathing_ … It suddenly made things so _real_. He thought back to the first time he had seen Rhett seriously ill, and how he had to make the decision to be okay with continuing his friendship that had an inevitable ending.  

He found it in himself to take a seat beside the bed. He put his shaking hand onto Rhett’s arms, only to pull it back to himself like he was shocked. His skin was so cold. It was almost like taking in a dead body. He gulped. 

“I’m here, bo.” He whispered. “I’m here.” 

Link did a lot of thinking, that day, beside his friend’s unresponsive body. He had a lot of thoughts about the future, about where he saw his relationship with Rhett. He thought about everything, really. 

He came to a very important decision. 

- 

The hospital staff and his family were cautious with his progress, but kept up hope as Rhett began to slowly improve over the following week. His parents and brother were in the room when he barely cracked open his eyes. He managed weak eye contact with his mom before going back under. 

The next time he opened his eyes, Link was in the room. The younger boy was talking to the nurse, when he felt Rhett weakly grip his hand. He turned to see his friend’s green eyes looking back at him. Taking advantage of his state, the nurse made sure to run a few small tests. Rhett was passing with flying colors. 

Rhett continued to improve, and with a few days, he was off of the ventilator and breathing on his own. His moments of wakefulness were starting to become more frequent. Link made sure to tell him terrible jokes every day, until his friend was well enough to laugh and tell him to quit it. 

The tall boy was finally released back to Riverview to finish his recovery, and Link was making sure to spend as much time there as possible. School was starting soon, and he wanted to find the right moment to have a word with his friend.

The two were watching TV together in companionable silence, when Link spoke. 

“Hey, you mind if I… Uh, talk to you about something?” Rhett turned to him. The two were awkwardly situated on the small bed, side by side. He quirked a brow. “You getting sick has got me thinking… About things.” Rhett frowned. “I just keep thinking about… _What if_. I know you gave me the ultimatum when we were kids… And I know what I’ve gotten myself into, but it’s just hard not to think about when… When that time finally comes.” Link paused. “I… I’ve been thinking… That if something were to happen tomorrow… There’s something that I’d want you to know.”

“Yeah?” Rhett was beginning to get nervous. Link’s fidgety behavior was not helping matters.

“You gotta… You gotta promise that if you don’t… If you don’t like what I tell you, we just… We just pretend I didn’t say anything okay? I can’t lose you, man. Not like that. You promise?” Link stalled.  
“Yeah, of course.” 

“Say it, man.” Rhett rolled his eyes. 

“I promise, _man_. Whatever you’re gonna say won’t make us stop being friends. Now, come on. You’re scaring me.” Link played with his hands. 

“When Christy dumped me, she threw me for a loop. She… She told me something I wasn’t sure I was ready to hear. But, turns out, I needed to hear it. It… It made me realize things.” Link gulped nervously. “Christy dumped me because she said she started feeling things for me. Real things. I even… I even offered her to stay with her. She’s such a good girl, I knew it wouldn’t be too difficult to ignore my own feelings and stay on the safe side.” 

Rhett felt nauseous at the turn of the conversation. What was he getting at? 

“She… She turned me down. She said… She said that she couldn’t do it. That my heart… My heart is already taken. Those were her words.” Rhett was nervous for the rest of the conversation. “I… I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s true. My heart’s taken. It’s been taken.” For the first time during the conversation, Link turned his bright blue eyes toward his friend, making nervous eye contact. “Rhett… It’s been taken by _you_.”  

Rhett found himself speechless, his green eyes wide.  He didn’t realize how his friend was taking his silence until he saw Link visibly deflate in front of him, breaking eye contact. 

“Just… Forget it. I’m sorry I even brought it up…” He moved, almost as if he were going to get off of the bed, when Rhett finally found it in himself to respond to the confession. He grabbed Link’s arm, pulling him close until he was able to lay a proper kiss directly on the boy’s lips. His inexperience surely showed, but it didn’t seem to matter. Once Link realized what was actually happening, his hand found its way to the side of his friend’s face as he returned the kiss. 

It seemed to be everything that Rhett saw in the TV shows; the world seemed to slow around them in that moment. The only thing that existed was him and Link. It almost hurt to pull away, as if they were fighting a magnetic force keeping them together. The younger boy rested his forehead against Rhett’s, a smile beginning to spread on his face. 

“Is it safe to say you feel the same?” Rhett smiled wide. 

“Of course. I’ve never… I’ve never felt anything, for anyone… Except you.” The corners of Link’s eyes crinkled as he grinned. He charged forward to steal another kiss. This one, despite both of their inexperience, was much more charged and contained a lot more lip movement. Once they broke away to breathe, Rhett looked toward this friend. He seemed deep in thought, despite the smile on his face. “You okay?” 

“I’m… I’m just so happy, Rhett.” 

- 

Of course, their relationship wasn’t without its challenges. Neither of the boys were out to their parents, meaning for the moment, their relationship was to be kept a secret. Of course, the staff of Riverview became quickly aware of a shift in their relationship. Dr. Kiernan was informed through Rhett of the upgrade from best friend to boyfriend. 

There were still conversations to be had, as well. Link still had doubts about Rhett’s feelings for him, worried that his friend had only been exposed to him. It was a quick ended argument; Rhett reminded him of the countless doctors, nurses, and patients that he dealt with on a daily basis. He never felt attraction for a single one of them; only Link. 

It was close to Rhett’s birthday when Link’s kisses were getting a little heated and Rhett brought up the delicate subject of the sexual side of their relationship. 

“You know… You know there’s a chance I’ll never be able to do _it_ with you, right?” He rubbed at the still healing area on his chest. “We might never get to…” Link shushed him. 

“I don’t care. I’m just happy that you’re mine. I don’t need any of that to be happy.” He snuggled into Rhett’s shoulder. 

“But…”

“Rhett- really. I’m aware that we aren’t a ‘normal’ couple. I get it.” He placed a kiss into the side of his neck. “But the fact that I get this time with you, doing _this_ …” He lifted his head to kiss him directly. “It means the world to me. I wouldn’t want anything else.”  

- 

The next year seemed to fly by; the two were so happy. Rhett, being homeschooled, managed to earn his diploma a year early. He wanted to wait until Link graduated to apply for college. Even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to physically go to classes (he’d take online courses) he wanted his schooling to somewhat line up with his boyfriend’s. 

He ended up deciding on going for a Creative Writing or Journalism degree. He always liked writing on his laptop or in one of his notebooks, and if his time was limited on the earth, his plan was to live it doing what he loved.

Link’s plans for his life were still up in the air. His family thought he should go into engineering, but he wasn’t completely sure. He knew he’d be easily able to get a good job with that type of degree, but he just wasn’t sure if he’d _love_ it.  

He always liked making videos for class, and he loved making terrible jokes with his best friend. He entertained the concept of going into something related to those, but he just didn’t know if he had the courage to go after something like that. All he knew was that he was going to try and get out of their small town. 

Rhett and him were already looking all over the country for colleges that would cater to Rhett’s medical needs and their academic goals. It was a difficult choice to make, but they were thinking long and hard about it. 

Though, they needed to make up their minds about their future. Time was going to leave them behind if they didn’t. 

- 

Rhett was waiting in his room for Link; it was the older boy’s birthday. The big eighteen. They were going to go out and maybe stop at the river and spend some time alone together. Link said that he would be there by 3 o'clock. That is, until that time passed. Then 4 came along. Suddenly, it was 6 o'clock, and Rhett was worried sick. 

‘ _Everything okay?_ ’ He sent a text out to his boyfriend, hoping for a quick response. A few moments later his phone buzzed.  

‘ _Yeah, fine. Will be there in 10. Will explain what happened when I see you. X_ ’ Rhett gave a small smile. Sure enough, close to ten minutes after the message, the door swings open and he sees the lanky shape of his boyfriend enter the room. His smile broke when he saw the sling over his shoulder and the scrapes covering his skin.  

“What the hell happened to you??” He was worried another bullying incident happened. Link let out a loud sigh. 

“Well, I most likely don’t have a truck anymore…” Rhett’s eyes widened. 

“ _What_?” His voice grew in volume. “What happened?” Link gingerly sat beside Rhett in the bed, the taller boy extending his arm to wrap around him.  

“Someone decided that red lights were for chumps and T-Boned me.” The arm around his shoulders tightened. “I’m okay. I just dislocated my shoulder, so having it in a sling for a bit is all it needs. Besides that, I’m mostly scrapes and bruises.” 

“I’m glad.” Rhett responded. “It just worries me when things like this happen… I… I know it sounds selfish, but sometimes I’m glad that I’m the sick one. I don’t have to think about losing you.” Link’s face fell. “You are so important to me. You are my whole world… I don’t know what I would do if I lost you.” The younger boy snuggled his face into his boyfriend’s neck. “But enough with the sad chat. No more truck?” 

“Nope. I was hoping to take you to the river and maybe out for a bite to eat too. Man…” He huffed out a breath. “Good thing I’ve had some money saved up. I can probably buy an old beater from someone in town. Something cheap to last through winter.” His voice rumbled against Rhett’s skin. “But damn it, man. I loved that truck.” 

“I know. I’m sure you’ll find something just fine, though.” He paused. “So, now that we are stuck here, what do you want to do?” Link shrugged.

“Maybe a board game and a movie?” Rhett smiled. 

“My choice?” Link returned the expression. 

“Of course, birthday boy.” 

- 

Christmas time was going to be rough. Usually, both Rhett and Link spent the morning of the day with their families and met up in the afternoon or evening to spend time together. But this year, Link’s dad’s side of the family decided to rent out a conference room in a nice hotel in Charleston, South Carolina where some of his aunts and uncles lived. During the winter, it was a good five hour drive. 

Link managed to convince his mom that she didn’t need to attend and face her ex-husband’s family, and that he could drive himself there and back. He had taken mini- road trips with friends before. He could handle that drive. After a while of plotting, she finally said yes.

Of course, it meant that he would be getting back home the day after Christmas, most likely early in the morning. The actual gathering was going to continue until New Year’s Day, almost as a Neal family retreat, but he wanted to spend the holiday with Rhett and his mom. 

A few days before Christmas, he made sure to spend some extra time with Rhett. His boyfriend wasn’t happy to spend the next few days without him, but he would manage. Link left the city after giving a quick hug and kiss to his best friend. 

“I’ll be here on the 26th. I’ll try to be here before you even wake up.” He teased. 

“Don’t go promising things you can’t possibly keep.” He knew Link would probably be passed out until at least late morning that day after the long drive. 

Though they had confessed their feelings elsewhere, the two still had yet to say ‘I Love You’ to one another. Being a child of divorce, the words scared Link. He knew the felt it with Rhett, but he just wanted to wait until the right time. The other boy knew his fear of the words, and wanted to make sure Link was the first to say them when he was ready. 

Link called when he arrived in Charleston, and he already sounded miserable. All he wanted to do was lie down and rest, but he was forced to see an abundance of cousins, aunts and uncles that he barely knew. After dinner, he escaped to his room and managed to video chat with Rhett. He gave a cheesy hotel room tour, making sure to open each and every drawer, even if they were empty. 

Link stuck mostly to his dad throughout the trip. He didn’t really know that side of his family too well. If his other family members weren’t bothering them, he would see his Nana and Papa. 

The days without Rhett made him long for him more than ever. It was during that time that he finally came up with Christmas gift for his friend. He would wait until he was out of his family’s reach until then, though. 

On Christmas Day, he received a few sweaters and some cash. He managed a thank you to everyone, hoping he wasn’t sounding too much like he wanted to run out the door. They all spent the day together, eating each major meal and playing games and shooting the breeze. Shortly after dinner, Link snuck off to his room and packed his belongings. He spent just another hour finishing up with all the conversations, until he managed goodbyes. 

“Drive safe, Link.” His dad gave him a pat on the shoulder as he slung his bag over his shoulder. 

“When am I not?” He joked, as he waved goodbye. He stopped for gas before he left. After he finished pumping his tank and buying a coffee from the convenience store, he pulled out his cell phone and dialled his best friend. It took a few rings for him to pick up. 

“Hey Link.” Rhett sounded exhausted. 

“Long day?” Link questioned. There was a huff of a laugh on the other line. 

“Isn’t it always?” The response came. “Are you headed home?”

“Yeah. I just filled my tank and I’m going to start the drive. Figured I’d let you know.” He smiled. “But you sound pretty wiped, so I’m going to get going and let you get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. Before you wake up, remember?” It was dark out. It was easily going to be after one or two in the morning by the time Link was even going to be getting into town. There was no way he’d be awake in time to be there. 

“Sure, sure. I still don’t believe you, but okay. See you tomorrow.” 

Link began the long drive back home. It had began to snow within the first hour of the drive, and the roads were beginning to get pretty slick. He wasn’t too worried. He’d driven in pretty bad conditions before; a little bit of snow wasn’t going to affect him much. 

The snow was continuing to pile up on the trip, and Link was still getting used to driving through it in his new car. He was getting close to home, getting within an hour of actually crossing into city limits. He thought back to his loving boyfriend, who was waiting to see him later in the day. He briefly considered just dropping his stuff off and going over to Riverview to just sleep in Rhett’s bed. He wondered if he would be okay with it. 

The distraction and increasingly cold temperatures proved to be his downfall. His hands tightened around the steering wheel as his tires caught onto a particularly slick patch of ice and powdery snow. He felt himself begin to panic as the car wasn’t regaining traction as it should. 

He felt his body begin to brace for some sort of impact as his car swerved off of the side of the road. He hoped it would slide into a ditch or a clearing, but of course, he couldn’t be that lucky. 

The breath was knocked out of him as his car loudly crashed into something very solid, a tree, and many things happened at once. His windshield shattered around him, and he felt the steering wheel ram _hard_ into his torso. The old beater’s air bags were delayed in their response, only adding to his whiplash as they deployed.  

It took a second for his brain to comprehend what had just occurred; he was in an accident. A very, _very_ bad accident. He felt pain begin to radiate up from his stomach and into his chest, and his head felt foggy. He opened his eyes to see snow beginning to make its way onto the dash from the broken windshield. He struggled to turn his head, hoping to see a quick escape through his driver’s side door. Unfortunately, the door was smashed in just enough to be unuseable.  

He began to cough, and his mind briefly wondered if his car was smoking. That is, until the wetness on his lips provided a distraction. He knew it wasn’t normal for his lips to grow so wet after a simple cough. He struggled to bring his shaking hand to his mouth. He let out a painful sob. 

Red. Bright, pungent red. It was covering his hand, his mouth. 

Even his foggy brain could comprehend what that meant for him. He hadn’t seen another car at that time of night for at least an hour. He didn’t have that kind of time. He was reminded of the promise he made to Rhett. He thought of _Rhett_. He let out another sob, nearly choking on it. 

It wasn’t fair. He was supposed to live until he was an old man, he was supposed to go to college with Rhett. He was supposed to go somewhere in his life. He wasn’t supposed to crash his car into a tree and die alone at seventeen. 

He knew he should call some type of emergency service, but with how faint he was beginning to feel, he knew they wouldn’t arrive in time. He still reached for his phone. It fell out of the cup holder he placed it in and onto the passenger seat. He went to his messaging app. He typed out a quick, short message to Rhett. He hoped it made sense. His thoughts sure weren’t any longer. 

He closed out of the app, looking to the background on his phone. It was a picture of Rhett and him together, smiling happily into the camera. He wanted to think of Rhett. He wanted to think of cuddling sessions, of light kisses, of coloring unicorns.

Link closed his eyes. 

- 

Rhett didn’t sleep soundly that night. He didn’t know if it was because he was so excited to see Link, or something else. He just kept waking up. It wasn’t until after one or two in the morning that he was able to finally fall into a deep sleep. 

He woke up early, despite it all. He managed to eat breakfast and take his morning medications. It was nearing noon, and he was beginning to wonder where Link was. He reached for his phone, seeing that he had unread text message from Link… From the night before. He went to open it, but the door opening interrupted him. He smiled, ready to see his boyfriend.  
What he didn’t expect was for his brother to enter the room.  

“Oh, hey, Cole. Morning.” He greeted. Cole didn’t return his smile.

“Hey, Rhett.” It was then that he noticed the red rings around his brother’s eyes and the deep hurt within them. 

“Is everything okay?” His brother let out a sigh. Rhett set his phone back onto the table. 

“Not really. Mom and Dad wanted to be here for this, but they’re still with Sue.” Rhett was confused. Why were they with Link’s mom? The confusion must’ve shown on his face. “Rhett… I really, really didn’t want to be the one to tell you this… But Link was in an accident last night.”  
Rhett’s heart fell. Tears instantly sprouted in his eyes. It wasn’t anything like the time before, with Link stumbling in with a sling on. Link wasn’t there. It had to be serious.

“Then… Then what are we waiting for? Is he in the hospital? I can be ready in just a few minutes and we can go…” He realized that Cole was not budging from his spot. His brother’s eyes were filled with tears. 

“Rhett, we can’t.” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “He… He didn’t…” The younger boy cut him off. 

“No. _No_.” He shook his head. Tears began to spill from his eyes. “That… That can’t have happened, I… I talked to him on the phone last night, he said he’d be here. He… He’s okay. He’s not… He’s not…” His breathing began to pick up, until he was full out hyperventilating.

“Rhett…” His brother reached toward him. He pulled his arm away. 

“ _Don’t touch me_!” He called out. He buried his face his hands. “No, no, no…” He choked on a sob. His long, lanky body tried it’s best to curl in on itself. “Get out… Get out!” He began to yell, getting increasingly agitated. 

Cole struggled to do so, but he abided by his brother’s wish. He exited the room, but there was no way he was going to leave him alone through this. He made his way to the nurse’s station, seeing the old, familiar face of Thelma. 

“Hi, Cole.” Her face fell upon seeing his expression. “Is everything alright, honey?” He shook his head. 

“Is there any way that Dr. Kiernan can be paged or something? Rhett… Rhett needs to see him. It’s an emergency.” She nodded her head, immediately leaving the counter. She made her way down the hall, giving a gentle knock on the door of James, another patient. The older man and Dr. John Kiernan looked over to her entry. 

“Dr. Kiernan? You’re needed for an emergency appointment.” John gave a nod. 

“We were just finishing up here anyways, weren’t we James?” He gave his well wishes to his patient, before exiting the room with the nurse. “What is it?”

“It’s… It’s Rhett, John.” The two began to make their way back down the hall. “I’m not sure what happened, but Cole asked me to grab you.” John’s face was set into a deep frown. Rhett had never had a bad enough emergency to require immediate attention. The two rushed back to the older McLaughlin brother.

“What’s happened, Cole?” John asked as he approached. 

“It’s… Doc, Link… Link passed away early this morning.” His voice trembled as he spoke. Thelma let out an audible gasp, and John had to blink away some tears himself. Both had gotten to know the boy through all the time he had spent at Riverview with his friend, and everyone had grown attached to his charm. “He… He got into an accident.” The doctor nodded his head. 

“I’ll go speak to him.” His voice was gruff with emotion. He stepped into the room, leaving Cole and Thelma outside. She turned to the young man, reaching her hand out to him. It landed on his forearm, and she rubbed her thumb comfortingly over the skin. It didn’t take long for Cole to let out a quiet sob. 

“He’s… He _was_ like another little brother to me. But… He was Rhett’s world.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what he’s going to do.” He pulled away from the old nurse, choosing to take a seat beside the door to his little brother’s room. He placed his head in his hands, at a loss. 

Thelma, on the other hand, returned to the nurse’s station. Another one of the girls asked her if everything was okay. She only shook her head. 

She remembered when the two met. The two of them changed each other for the better. She always feared for the day that little Link would be without Rhett. She didn’t imagine it ever being the other way around. 

She thought about all the families just coming off from their holiday celebrations. This poor family had to go through _this_. 

-

It was a long day at Riverview. Dr. Kiernan ended up having to cancel his appointments for a few hours because of the emergency. Cole was eventually let back into the room, and after the doctor departed, no words were spoken between the brothers. Rhett was silent as he sat, staring out the window. He had his legs tucked close to his chest. His elder brother could hear his sniffles, so he knew the younger boy hadn’t gone completely catatonic. 

It wouldn’t be until later in the afternoon that Diane and Jim would join them in their solemn silence. Their mother was the only one brave enough to sit beside her mourning son in his bed, gently placing her hand on his. It seemed to knock Rhett out of his isolated stupor, and he turned to his mom with tears in his eyes. He threw his arms around her, his face buried in her chest as if he were a small child. He sobbed hard enough that he was nearly choking. 

Diane could only rub her hand along his back and through his hair as she kissed his head. Tears fell from her own eyes during the embrace. 

“I’m here, honey. We’re all here for you.” He sobbed. 

“It’s not fair, mom. It’s not fair. Why him? Hasn’t the world punished me enough?” He cried. “I was supposed to go first, Ma… It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.” 

It hurt for the McLaughlin family to hear. 

- 

Rhett was taking it day by day. They were waiting until January 3rd to lay his best friend to rest. 

It was difficult to even breathe most days. Thanks to the autopsy report and police report that Rhett insisted he read, he knew what happened to Link. 

The car slid on the ice and crashed into a tree on the side of the road. Link’s airbags malfunctioned and he hit his steering wheel before they even deployed. His ribs broke, puncturing his lung, causing internal bleeding. He sat there, dying, as he bled out alone in his car as snow filled the cab from his broken windshield. He was discovered less than an hour later by another car passing through. 

His estimated time of death was around one to one thirty in the morning. 

Rhett’s parents didn’t want him to read any of it. They tried their best to keep it from him, but he insisted. It hurt to know what exactly happened, but Rhett was the type that needed to know. He would’ve obsessed over the details until _someone_ told him.  

Though, he still had one matter to deal with. He was avoiding looking at his phone like the plague. He wondered if his family noticed. 

The notification was still there. One new message from Link. The time stamp on the message was 1:18am. He knew what that meant. The emergency crew that cut Link out of the car had noted his cell phone in his hand, after all. 

The last words of the love of his life were there, on his phone. 

There would never be another new message from him. The message his phone held was _it_.  

He couldn’t help but fear what the message said. Was it some kind of secret? Some kind of insight from a dying man?

 Rhett was the type that needed to know. But his fear overrode that instinct. 

- 

Cole sat beside his brother, watching on TV as the ball dropped. It was a new year. A new start; after everything. He knew his little brother didn’t have the same insight. 

Rhett rubbed at his eyes as the TV station showed all the couples sharing their New Year’s kisses, as they showed all the bright, hopeful eyes. He wondered if he’d ever feel that way again. 

He was so caught up in the show, that he didn’t notice his brother’s eyes wander from it. Cole’s eyes wandered throughout the room.  
Rhett wasn’t always the most clean of people, but Link would never allow him to live in a complete mess. He made sure Rhett cleaned up after everything he did. But he wasn’t there to do so any longer.

Rhett had papers all over, not in his filing cabinet. His bed was un-made. It was strange to see. He saw Rhett’s phone, still on the charger. He noticed his brother avoiding it. He knew that Link was mostly his only friend with the exception of some acquaintances in the clinic, and wondered if his avoidance of his phone was because of that.

The battery hit full, and the screen lit back up. Cole didn’t mean to be nosy, but it was hard to miss what was on the screen. He saw the notification on the screen. 

_Message: Link_

_12/26 1:18am_  

It wasn’t hard to guess what that meant. He had read the same files as his little brother. Link sent something to Rhett while he was in the car, breathing his last breaths.  
As curious as he was, he did his best to blot out that observation and spend the rest of the night with his brother in relative peace. 

- 

Rhett wasn’t ready. 

The suit was uncomfortable. It was early January, but the air felt thick. 

He was having a bad day. Of course, that bad day would fall on January 3rd. 

As much as the staff of Riverview would’ve loved to come along to the service, only a small handful of nurses were able to make it. Thelma was thankfully one of them. Rhett was almost glad to see her as his mom pushed his wheelchair along the pews in the church. 

He was settled in the front row, nearly in the aisle. He was relieved to see that it was a closed casket. He didn’t know how he would’ve reacted to seeing his best friend’s body out in the open like that. 

He saw so many people Link knew. He saw that asshole Michael who outed Link to everyone, but quickly made amends once his friend lied about being straight. The boy was crying as if it were _his_ best friend in the coffin. He saw Lenora Locklear, the teacher that helped facilitate their friendship in the first days. She didn’t make eye contact with him. He wondered how much it hurt her to see him there. Christy was there as well. She stopped by and gave him a hug. She had been thriving ever since her cancer went into remission. She and Link had kept up their contact, though.  

The ceremony seemed to drag on forever. He couldn’t break eye contact with the photos set up on the altar. One of Link’s senior photos, of him smiling into the camera in front of a tree. How fitting. It made Rhett nearly sick. 

One of the pictures was of the two of them. The same one that was on Link’s phone background. They took that photo after they had had a “date” at the river. The two of them had spent the day laying on the rocks beside it, lazily making out and talking for hours. It was one of his favorite memories. He still felt sick to his stomach. 

After a long while, he found himself outdoors as they lowered his best friend into the ground. He flinched every time Sue let out a heart wrenching sob. His hand was tucked into hers. He knew his pain was nothing compared to hers, but he wanted her to know that she was not alone. 

The dirt was beginning to fill the plot as Rhett thought back to it all. 

Coloring unicorns. Play dates. The first time Rhett got truly sick. Their arguments. Link’s battle with homophobia in their community. Link’s fake relationship. The blossoming of their real relationship. 

It was all over. In the blink of an eye. His best friend was _gone_. There wouldn’t be a new memory with Link.  

His best friend’s body was covered in six feet of dirt. The friends and family were talking to one another, offering condolences to one another. Rhett still sat in his wheelchair, staring at the freshly filled plot in front of him. He was still absorbing it all.

Link was laid to rest.

He felt a tear fall down his face. He noticed Sue’s hand was still in his. He took a shuddering breath. 

“I loved him.” He nearly whispered, his voice so quiet. She turned to him, her face a pool of tears. She took her hand out of his, only to place it on the back of his neck. 

“I know.” He turned to make eye contact with her. He expected to see disgust, maybe the homophobia that the whole town felt. But he was surprised to only find pure love and heartbreak. 

“You… You know?” He questioned. 

“I always knew. Before the two of you, I bet.” She shook her head. She most likely remembered what he kept getting reminded of. It was over. It was all _over_. She rubbed over his neck once more, before leaving him alone at the plot to seek comfort in her family.  

It was only when Rhett was alone that he let out a quiet sob. 

He knew he had to move on. He knew it would be the hardest thing he’d ever do, but he knew it was something that had to be done. 

“I love you. I always loved you. Since you offered me stupid crayons to color in stupid unicorns.” He spoke to the air, hoping that he was listening. “Part of me wants to hate you for leaving me, but I understand. I’ll make it. I have to. I have to make you proud. I have to live out our dreams, for the both of us. I just wish… I wish we had more time.” The cold air blew by him, and it almost felt like some the voices behind him ceased to exist as well. 

He shifted in his chair, feeling his cell phone digging into his leg. His heart pounded as he took the device out. He unlocked it, staring at the notification. His hands trembled as he clicked on it to open it.

He let out a startling sob as he read them; Link’s last words he would ever say to him. The last words he would ever say to anyone. His guesses were all wrong. But the reality was somehow even better. He locked the message into his phone, already making plans to make sure he had a backup of the message somewhere. Without realizing it, the message renewed his hope.  
As difficult as the rest of his life would be, sick or not… He would be okay. He knew Link was waiting for him somewhere. 

 

_Message: Link_

_12/26 1:18am_  

_I love you._

  



End file.
